Nimes

At 08.23, I took a train to Nimes which went through Arles and crossed the Rhone at Tarascon with its castle in sight. Nimes is just across the border from Provence into the Department of Gard in the Region of Occitania.
I bought a ticket for a number of the historic sites in the city. Firstly, I went into the Ampitheatre and had fun climbing up the different levels. The equipment in the arena in advance of shows in August was a pity.
The city is very smart with wide boulevards, some following the Roman layout.
The Maison Carree is the former temple in the Roman Forum. The Musee of Contemporary Art opposite was designed by Norman Foster.
A road on the way to a church and a Roman gateway had many ethnic restaurants.
An uphill walk brought me to the Tour Magne which, from the top, provided good views over the city.
I walked through the Jardin de la Fontaine back into the centre and the Musee de la Romanite which was opened five years' ago. It was very impressive with lots of Roman artefacts including funerary monuments and mosaics. There was an exhibition and video about the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War.
I had snacks outside the station as well as at a branch of Paul inside the the station which had arched corridors as in the Ampitheatre.
The train-ride back to Marseille took 70 minute, passing through oil refineries and petrochemical plants west of the city before reaching farmland.Read more